Sanctuary City

2017-Sanctuary-City.png

On April 17, 2017, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2017-09 , declaring Albany a Sanctuary City. The City Council formed a subcommittee comprised of former Mayor McQuaid and former Council Member Nason to engage with the community to develop a Sanctuary City Resolution that is customized to Albany. A community workshop to discuss becoming a sanctuary city was held on April 5, 2017.(PDF, 348KB)

In adopting the Sanctuary City Resolution, the Council expressed pride in being a City which recognizes the dignity and civil rights of all  community members including the right of all community members to live, work, and study in a City that does not subject them to prejudicial treatment or discrimination. The City Council understands that undo enforcement of immigration violations will damage the public trust in law enforcement and make our entire community less safe.

Red Cards from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center are a resource to provide information on peoples’ rights. Red Cards with translations in Spanish and Chinese are available at City facilities: City Hall, the Albany Community Center, and the Albany Senior Center. Find out more at ilrc.org/red-cards-tarjetas-rojas.

City Council Statement on Diversity & Inclusion

On November 21, 2016, the City Council reiterated a priority for community diversity and inclusion by reading the following statement: We, the members of the Albany City Council, recognize that many in our community are hurting and fearful as a result of the recent national election. Thus, we would like to take this opportunity to reaffirm that we welcome and value all of our diverse citizens regardless of where they are from, who they love, how they worship, how they look, their abilities, or how they vote.

We invite all of the citizens of Albany to join with us in creating a safe and welcoming community; one in which we celebrate our differences and learn from each other; one in which we are proud to raise our children. “Diversity is not about how we differ. Diversity is about embracing one another's uniqueness”. Ola Joseph

 

Back to top